A/HRC/13/23
of tensions, and thus serve the purpose of conflict prevention. Therefore, in addition to
being a legal obligation, creating conditions for the effective participation of minorities
should be considered by States to be an integral part of good governance.
Effective participation in decision-making processes, particularly those which have
an impact on minorities, is a precondition for the full and equal enjoyment of the human
rights of persons belonging to minorities. There are at least two key lessons to be learned.
The first is the truly essential nature of the right to effective participation: the fulfilment of
so many other fundamental human rights is both dependent on and a prerequisite for its
fulfilment. The second is that the effectiveness of the political participation of minorities
must constantly be measured at all levels of society, in order to ensure that it is real and
meaningful.
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GE.10-10198